Bathinda, May 18
The atmosphere was one of celebration at chief minister Parkash Singh Badal’s native house at Badal village today, when he filled up the forms for the Census-2011.

The chief minister filled two set of performas—“National population register (NPR)/Household schedule” and the “House listing and housing Census schedule” in the presence of various senior state and district level officials.

Sources present on the occasion informed that Badal (claiming to be in a hurry) filled just the initial details and left the rest of the columns blank, assigning the responsibility to his assistant to provide details to the enumerators.

However, taking no chance, he glanced through the forms and made some alterations before signing up the filled forms.

According to information gathered from the Census team that visited the house to collect details, in the first form “House listing and housing Census schedule” Badal mentioned only two names—own and of spouse, stating that Sukhbir Badal would fill separate forms, mentioning the address of his new villa, located on the Bathinda-Kheowali road at Badal village.

Claiming to have the ownership of the house, Badal mentioned that its floor was of cement and roofs were of old pattern—girder-based curved roof. The details also mentioned that the chief minister’s family had been consuming tap water from un-treated source and was using LPG as fuel in the kitchen, sources informed.

Later, emphasizing the importance of Census-2011 to create a comprehensive identity database for the development of the country, Badal appealed to people to provide correct details to the enumerators and to cooperate with them as it was meant for the welfare of nation as well as individuals.

On the other hand, the chief minister directed the Census staff to perform their duty with care and responsibility and warned that anyone found guilty would not be spared.

Among others, chief minister’s brother Gurdas Badal, special principal secretary to CM KJS Cheema, DC Varun Roojam, SSP Inder Mohan Singh, SDM Malout Parveen Thind were also present on the occasion.

Bathinda, May 18
Heat wave conditions, prevailing in Bathinda and its adjoining areas for the last seven or more days, continued also on Monday with mercury hovering around 42 degrees Celsius mark.

The temperature, however, dipped a bit from Sunday when the region recorded the highest temperature of the season so far touching 46 degrees Celsius. Residents continued to reel under scorching heat as maximum temperature remained 42.8 degrees Celsius.

The day’s low was 26.8 degrees Celsius, nearly four degrees lower than on Monday, as recorded by the Agro-met Advisory Services, PAU regional station, Bathinda.

Meanwhile, Monday recorded the highest minimum temperature of the season so far with mercury settling at 30.2 degrees Celsius at 7.30 am.

Moreover, residents have been complaining of restlessness for the last two days saying, “Mercury around 40 degrees Celsius has been a feature during the last one month in the region, but never caused such uneasiness.” Weathermen attributed relatively high humidity coupled with duststorm as the reasons behind the problem.

As far as the weather’s mood during the last week is concerned, no rainfall was recorded and the maximum temperature in Bathinda varied between 42 degrees Celsius and 46 degrees while minimum temperature ranged from 22 degrees to 30.2 degrees Celsius. The mean relative humidity varied between 43 and 11 per cent. The wind speed was 7 kmph.

As far as the weather’s mood in Bathinda and nearby places for the next three to four days is concerned, weathermen at the IMD, Chandigarh, said the weather will remain mainly clear with possibility of duststorm/thunderstorm/light rain at isolated places in the next two to three days. The daily maximum temperature is expected to range between 39 degrees Celsius and 43 degrees Celsius. The mean relative humidity is likely to vary between 47 and 16 per cent during these days and wind speed is likely to range between 4 and 11 kmph.

Bathinda, May 18
MP from Bathinda Harsimrat Kaur Badal said today the Central government was not serious over the attacks made on the people of Indian origin (PIO) in foreign countries. Due to racial attacks, PIOs abroad sometimes faced threat to their lives, she added.

She stated this during a tour to some villages of the Talwandi Sabo sub-division, including Shergarh, Bhagwangarh, Bangi Raghu, Bangi Deepa and Kot Bakhtu, in order to thank the residents for voting in her favour and ensuring her victory during previous Lok Sabha elections.

Harsimrat also heard the problems and grievances of the people in the form of ‘Sangat Darshan’. She also distributed cheques worth Rs 34 lakh among village Panchayats for development works.

Harsimrat said it was the duty of the Centre government to hold serious discussions with the governments of foreign countries on the issue of attacks on PIOs in their respective countries. She also asked the Union government to send a deputation of the members of Lok Sabha of all political parties to those countries to take stock of the situation.

Jalalabad, May 18
Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal today assured the agitating Aanganwari workers that he would look into their demands and do the needful to redress their grievances. He gave this assurance when he was confronted by a large number of Aanganwari workers, who were holding a protest in front of the local community hall, where Badal held a sangat darshan of different wards of the Municipal Council.

Badal said the state government was committed to carrying out welfare of all sections of society and hence, never wanted to adopt the path of confrontation with anyone. He said that genuine demands of people were being accepted without any hitch by the state government. Meanwhile, the Aanganwari workers said they had given one week’s time to Badal to redress their grievances, failing which, they would again adopt the path of agitation. — TNS

Chak Panj Kohi (Ferozepur), May 18
It was an altogether different kind of Sangat Darshan held today in this village falling in the assembly segment represented in Vidhan Sabha by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal.

The sarpanches and members of panchayats of about 21 panchayats of villages falling in Jalalabad assembly segment were meted out ‘special’ treatment by the organisers when they were made to sit on floor covered with dirty mats. On the one hand, the sarpanches and members of the panchayats, elected representatives of the people, were made to sit on the floor, and on the other, officials belonging to different departments of the state government were offered chairs covered with linen.

The panchayats of 21 villages attended the Sangat Darshan programme held by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal to get their grievances redressed on the spot and to get required funds for various projects of their respective villages from the chief guest.

Badal distributed grants amounting to Rs 45 crores for various development works during the Sangat Darshan. The panchayats that took part in the Sangat Darshan includes Chak Panj Kohi, Roran Wala, Chak Singhe Wala, Chak Gulam Rasool Wala, Dhaani Mohari Ram, Balaki Wala, Jand Wala, Chak Jand Wala, Nukerian, Mandi Aameenganj, Haleem Wala, Sahi Wala, Khuranz, Chak Roran Wala, Chak Khuranz, Ladhu Wala Uttaar, Ladhu Wala Hithad , Dhaani Sardul Singh and Nanak Nagar.

“When the officials were given chairs, then why were the elected representatives made to sit on floor? It is humiliating for us when we are treated shabbily by the government, which repeatedly claimed that due honour and respect would be given to the elected representatives of the people,” said one of the members of Panchayat on the condition of anonymity.

Janmeja Singh Sekhon, irrigation minister, Sher Singh Ghubhaya, MP, Gurtej Singh Ghuriana, MLA, Raminder Singh, Commissioner, Ferozepur Division, Rohit Chaudhary, IG, KK Yadav, DC Ferozepur and Surinderpal Singh Parmar, SSP, were present. Badal said that a total grant of Rs 185 crore had been allotted to the Jalalabad constituency for development works. Later, he inaugurated a 10-bed Primary Health Centre at village Ghubhaya.

Abohar, May 18
While kick-starting the agitation against arbitrary directions issued by Shree Amarnath Shrine Board, volunteers of the Abohar-based Shri Amarnath Langar Sewa Samiti would burn an effigy of the Shrine Board CEO during a protest demonstration at Ghantaghar Chowk, located opposite the railway station here on Wednesday.

Samiti president Bhim Sain Jat said the Board had conveyed to the NGOs that they would have to pay Rs 25,000 each for using 30'x40' land to run free kitchen (langar) during the holy Yatra that begins by July 1 this year.

Each pilgrim would have to pay Rs 15 as entry fee. The tax for buses carrying pilgrims has been increased from Rs 300 to Rs 2300. The Jammu and Kashmir government would charge Rs 15,000 on account of VAT from each truck that transports luggage and food material for the Yatra.

Notably, the Samiti members met the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi last year and many parliamentarians including Navjot Sidhu this year seeking their intervention to get such hard directions withdrawn but none could help.

The BJP parliamentary party leader Sushma Swaraj had also raised the issue during the last session of the Lok Sabha but it too could not bear any fruits. The NGOs had decided to burn effigies of the Shrine Board CEO in different cities on Wednesday as phase one of the two-month long agitation.

Abohar, May 18
The Gharaats (flour mills run by recycling of canal water) that had been developed by the irrigation department as energy saving flour mills near different head works of canals in the region now attract only a few customers.

During a visit to Virak Khera Gharaat located near Gaddandob village, it was found that only two of the five wheat crushing stones were functioning. The sub-canal derives 6.25 cusecs of water from the main Abohar branch canal with about 8 ft fall and the high velocity water, when recycled, automatically rotates the wheat crushing stones.

However, the wooden sleepers being used as floor bed for the unit have got damaged and can cause tragedy caused by drowning for the visitors.

Cockroaches residing under the sleepers are uncountable. A progressive farmer Tejwinder Singh Aulakh said during his childhood in village Bargari, his parents use to say that flour prepared by the units run by electricity connections is always hot enough and loses nutrients including protein whereas the wheat milled by the Gharaats remains cold, soft and full of nutrients.

Contractor Om Parkash said that he has to pay Rs 100 daily to the irrigation department for running the Gharaat here. “Long back, the rent had gone up to Rs 300 but now we hardly earn even Rs 100 even when the milling is done at rupee one per kg only. A number of flour mills had come up in the adjoining villages. Moreover, the present generation is unwilling to transport wheat to the canal bank for getting it processed by the Gharaat at slow speed. People are becoming less health conscious. We have to maintain the unit with own expenses, the department is not concerned with it is miserably condition,” he said.

Intriguingly, the government had neither bothered to get the Gharaat nor adjoining telegraph office building repaired for couple of years. The battery at the canal telegraph office has not been replaced. The attendant can send the message about breach in the canal only, if electricity supply is available. Another farmer Sikander Singh informed that Sehna Khera Gharaat located on the Lambi sub canal in Khuddian Gulab Singh village area had been abandoned about 30 years back.

The canal rest house there lay completely damaged. Another Gharaat was located near Patran on the Bhakra canal system. A small floor mill needs six HP electricity motor for processing wheat. It would be better for the state government to promote and maintain gharaats to save energy and provide better quality of flour, he suggested.

“The units remind us of our ancient culture. New units can be developed near the regulators in sub-canals also,” farmer Kulwant Singh Sandhu said.

Fazilka, May 18
A newly-married youth living in Chakkarwale Jhuge, on the outskirts of Fazilka, allegedly assaulted his wife, mother-in-law, father-in-law and one more person last night. Following the assault, the young man was allegedly suspected to have consumed pesticides resulting in his death.

As per details, Parmjit Kaur, a resident of Awa colony of Fazilka, got married to Jaswinder Singh (23) about five months back. The couple reportedly had some dispute. According to the statement of Charan Singh, the father of the deceased Jaswinder Singh, his son went to his in-laws’ house to bring his wife.

Jaswinder Singh reportedly had some dispute there, following which, he allegedly assaulted his in-laws and one more person. Injured persons were immediately rushed to the local civil hospital. Jaswinder Singh was also admitted to the civil hospital. He died after a short while last night.

Sadar Police, Fazilka, have registered a case under section 174 against the deceased Jaswinder Singh indicating that he might have consumed insecticides resulting in his death.

According to postmortem preliminary report, no mark of injury was found on the body of Jaswinder. The police is yet to record the statement of the in-laws of the deceased.

Abohar, May 18
Self-immolation attempt by three watermelon sellers was foiled by the sub-divisional police by cordoning off the residence of the Municipal Council president Shiv Raj Goyal, son of the former BJP MLA Dr Ram Kumar Goyal, on the west circular road here today.

As per the information, an alert was sounded late last night as the police came to know that Naveen Kumar Chhanga, Ram Chander and Vinod Kumar had reportedly informed the local newspaper offices that they would commit suicide by using kerosene outside the residence of the MC president to protest against the action taken on Monday under the anti-encroachment drive. Police parties were rushed to their houses to keep them confined to the residence. Some of the officials approached them for counselling today and negotiations thereafter reportedly resulted in abandoning the bid, sources said.

Notably, all footpaths besides the railway road and circular road had been cleared off temporary encroachment following a decisive drive that had been launched under the directions by the former SDM Amit Dhaka but after his transfer to Muktsar, the rehriwalas had again encroached upon all the vacated places. — OC

Fazilka, May 18
Agriculturists, family women, socialites and SAD functionaries have hailed the decision of the state government to change the property law in favour of women for their empowerment.

They have also suggested further modification in the continuation of the law which was amended by the cabinet on Monday.

The cabinet decision would entitle adult daughters to permissible area at par with the adult sons of the land owners under the Punjab Land Reforms Act 1972. Now, a woman descendent would also get tenancy rights according to the amendment.

The representatives claimed that the genesis of the cabinet decision has its roots in Fazilka. A deputation of the agriculturist families had visited Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal for the amendment a few months back. They, through a memorandum, had demanded to implement such changes to enable adult daughters to be treated equally as sons for permissible areas under the Act.

The representatives believed that this amendment would bring an end to discrimination between girls and boys of the farmers’ families.

While lauding the cabinet decision, Sheetal Rani and Satish Dhingra, have pointed out a discrepancy in the amended law and suggested that some further amendments in continuation of the amended law is needed.

They have suggested that even with the present cabinet decision, the adult daughters would be deprived of the right to hold the permissible area after her marriage in the event of her husband already having such an area.

They said that in most of the cases, daughters of farmers’ families are married off in the families of agriculturists.

Hence, the provisions of holding the permissible area of a daughter comes to end as the wife and husband are considered to be as one unit. Ultimately, the land given by the father to a daughter would become surplus.

They have demanded that further amendment suitable to enable the adult girls to continue holding of their share of permissible area even after their marriage to such groom already holding the permissible area, should be made.

Abohar, May 18
Satish Kumar Sharma, an employee of the local municipal council, has been placed under suspension for alleged negligence in the census duty, sources said on Tuesday.

As per details, he was assigned the initial job of marking new serial numbers on the houses but did not perform the task properly. The new house numbers are not only to become the basis for the census but also for the revision of electoral rolls going alongside.

The officials informed the DC who ordered the suspension after an inquiry into the charges. — OC